WITH  DRAWINGS  8?  DECORATIONS  BY 
GEORGE  WHARTON  EDWARDS-sr 


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Copyright,  1 890,  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Company 


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Page     I,  Title  page. 

4,  Copyright. 

5,  Dedication. 
7,  Half  title. 
9,  List  of  Drawings  and  Decorations. 

I  •?,  The  Sun  Dial. 

16,  "Tricked  in  the  autumn  with  the  yellow  rain. 

17,  Head  Band. 


Page  21,  "Here  would  the  ringdoves  linger." 

25,  "Folded,  inscribed,  and  niciied  it  in  the  stone." 

29,  "And  spied  the  tiny  letter  in  the  nook." 

33,  "The  single  tear  that  tear-worn  eyes  will  shed." 

37,  "Blue-eyed,  frank-faced,  with  clear  and  open  brow. 

41,  "Took  out  the  note; — held  it  as  one  who  feared 
The  fragile  thing  he  held  would  slip  and  fall." 

45,  "And  sauntered  past,  singing  a  roundelay." 

47,  Finis. 

49,  Tail  Piece. 


is  an  old  dial,  dark  with  many  a  stain  ; 
In    summer    crowned    with    drifting 

orchard    bloom, 
Tricked  in  the  autumn  with  the  yellow 
rain, 
And  white  in  winter  like  a  marble  tomb ; 

iikl    round  about    its  gray,   time-eaten 
brow 
Lean    letters    speak  —  a    worn     and 
shattered  row : 
31  am  a  ^I)aDc  -.  a  ^IjaDoinc  too  arte  tl)ou  -. 

I  marfic  t\)c  Zimt:  0avc,  (15o60ip,  t)O0t  tl)ou  00c? 


,ere  would  the  ringdoves   linger,    head 
to  head  ; 
And    here  the  snail   a   silver  course 

would  run, 
Beating    old    Time ;    and    here    the 
peacock  spread 
His  gold-green  glory,  shutting  out  the  sun. 


[he  tardy  shade  moved  forward  to  the 
noon  ; 
Betwixt  the   paths   a   dainty   Beauty 

stept, 

That  swung  a  flower,  and,  smiling, 
hummed  a  tune, — 
Before  whose  feet  a  barking  spaniel  leapt. 


'er  her  blue  dress  an  endless  blossom 
strayed ; 
About  her   tendril-curls  the  sunlight 

shone ; 
And  round   her  train  the   tiger-lilies 
swayed, 
Like  courtiers  bowing  till  the  queen  be  gone. 


'he  leaned  upon  the  slab  a  little  while, 
Then  drew  a  jewelled  pencil  from  her 

zone, 
Scribbled  a  something  with  a  frolic 
smile, 
Folded,  inscribed,  and  niched  it  in  the  stone. 


[he  shade  slipped  on,  no  swifter  than 
the  snail ; 
There   came   a  second   lady   to  the 

place, 
Dove-eyed,  dove-robed,  and   some- 
thing wan  and  pale — 
An  inner  beauty  shining  from  her  face. 


[he,  as  if  listless  with  a  lonely  love, 
Straying   among   the   alleys   with   a 

book, — 

Herrick    or    Herbert, — watched    the 
circling  dove, 
And  spied  the  tiny  letter  in  the  nook. 


hen,    like    to    one   who   confirmation 

found 
Of  some  dread  secret  half-accounted 

true, — 
Who  knew  what  hands  and  hearts 

the  letter  bound. 


And  argued  loving  commerce  'twixt  the  two. 


the  bent  her  fair  young  forehead  on  the 
stone ; 
The  dark  shade  gloomed  an  instant 

on  her  head  ; 
And  'twixt  her  taper-fingers  pearled 
and  shone 
The  single  tear  that  tear-worn  eyes  will  shed. 


he  shade  slipped   onward  to  the  fall- 
ing gloom ; 
There  came  a  soldier  gallant  in  her 

stead, 

Swinging  a   beaver  with  a  swaling 
plume, 
A  ribboned  love-lock  rippling  from  his  head ; 


lue-eyed,    frank-faced,    with    clear   and 
open  brow, 
Scar-seamed  a  little,  as  the  women 

love ; 
So    kindly    fronted    that    you    mar- 
velled how 
The  frequent  sword-hilt  had  so  frayed  his  glove ; 


[ho   switched   at  Psyche    plunging    in 
the  sun ; 
Uncrowned  three  lilies  with  a  back- 
ward swinge ; 
And  standing  somewhat  widely,  like 
to  one 
More  used  to  "Boot  and  Saddle"  than  to  cringe 


* 


\s  courtiers  do,  but  gentleman  withal, 
Took  out  the  note; — held  it  as  one 

who  feared 
The  fragile  thing  he  held  would  slip 
and  fall ; 
Read  and  re-read,  pulling  his  tawny  beard ; 


lissed   it,    I   think,  and   hid  it  in  his 
breast  ; 
Laughed  softly  in  a  llattered  happy 

way, 
Arranged  the  hroidered  baldrick  on 
his  chest, 
And  sauntered  past,  singing  a  roundelay. 


'he  shade  crept   forward  through  the 
dying  glow; 
There  came  no  more  nor  dame  nor 

cavalier ; 
But  for  a  little  time  the  brass  will 
show 
A  small  gray  spot — the  record  of  a  tear. 


./ 


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